Any sober reflection on the challenges that have beset our nation, especially the moral decline in our politics and the tragic failure to harness our vast potential for the betterment of our people, must inevitably confront the legacy of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). For many years, it was the purveyor of a governance model that has left us with a bitter harvest.

Under the stewardship of Presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan, the PDP laid a foundation that continues to undermine our progress. It was President Obasanjo who institutionalized the so-called “zoning” arrangement, an anti-democratic principle that has systematically prioritized regional rotation over merit and competence. This philosophy has elevated mediocrity and created a culture of unaccountability in our corridors of power. The integrity of our elections was severely compromised under his watch, a fact later acknowledged by his own successor, President Yar’Adua.

Yet, the concessions did not end there. The Yar’Adua administration, in its response to unrest, tragically chose to reward violence with amnesty and cash, inadvertently making crime an enterprising venture. This policy catastrophe created a perilous precedent that contributed to the rise of Boko Haram and the epidemic of kidnapping. When President Jonathan assumed office, the rot deepened. His administration was marked by a profound failure to secure the nation or steward our resources wisely, with allegations of grand corruption even reaching funds earmarked for the very security forces fighting a raging insurgency.

ALSO READ: The Revolution in Our Minds

Today, we witness a disheartening cycle. The PDP has been eclipsed by the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party that has proven to be a mere regrouping of the same interests, embracing the same flawed principles like zoning. The recent defections of governors only confirm that for the political elite, the party banner is but a garment, easily changed, while the pursuit of self-interest remains constant.

This is not a call for despair, but for clarity and action. The true opposition in Nigeria is not another political party; it is the collective will of the ordinary Nigerian people. We must rise above ethnic and religious sentiments that these parties exploit. We must arm ourselves with knowledge and, at the polls, make informed choices that reject this sordid status quo. Our mission is to consign the failed models of both the PDP and APC to the past and demand a new politics dedicated solely to the service of the nation.

-Francis Onyema, 2027 Presidential Aspirant.